"It’s more the longevity of things, you have more appreciation,” Manning said. “You don’t know how long you get to play this or how long you get to do it. I think you are here and that you don’t know what the future holds. I think when you’re younger you assume you’re going to keep playing.”

The Giants, with a young team and question marks all over the defense, would welcome that “problem" compared with the others they have faced in recent years. A seventh playoff-less season in eight years makings handing the keys to Jones an easy decision.

“I never got worried about playing a certain amount of years or this or that,” Manning said. “It’s just all about taking advantage of this year. Making something special with this year, this team, this season.”

Manning is 47-64 in the regular season with declining analytic numbers since winning his second Super Bowl at the end of the 2011 season. He and long snapper Zak DeOssie are the only holdovers from then.

“I think about the players we have on this team,” Manning said. “I want those guys to experience some of the success that we’ve had here at the Giants in the past: To make the playoffs and win championships and get on win streaks, to feel like you are playing better than anybody else in the league at that moment.

“Those are fun and great memories, but I’m not reflecting on those. I want these guys who maybe haven’t had that to experience that.”